Obituary of Carmen Romei

Carmen Romei, a longtime resident of Pompton Plains, died at home Monday, October 24, 2022 in the care of his loving family.

Born in Paterson, Carmen was the son of Carlo and Lena Romei. A graduate of St. John's High School in Paterson, he played basketball there and then went on to study at St. Boneventure's University in New York. 

After graduating with his Bachelor's degree, Carmen enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving overseas during the Korean Conflict. Returning to the states after being honorably discharged, Carmen began working for the State Farm Insurance Company. 

Employment at State Farm would seem serendipitous, for it is while working there that he fell in love with his fellow employee, Sandra Nichol. The two were married on April 27, 1969, and enjoyed 53 years of a beautiful marriage together.

The young couple first lived in a two-family home in Paterson before moving to Clifton, where they started their family. In 1982, the Romei family moved to a new home in Pompton Plains, and found themselves truly at home.

Carmen held a long career with State Farm as the Supervisor of the Estimatics Unit, retiring in the late 1990s. Soonafter, he and Sandra began wintering in Vero Beach, Florida, which they both greatly enjoyed. Winters became longer and longer stints down south, until it seemed they were spending 9 months out of the year there! 

Carmen was a true sportsaholic. He loved his local NY sports teams, with the Giants and the Devils being his top teams, but was also interested in anything being discussed, reported, or broadcasted on ESPN. He also loved to bowl, golf and paint. 

Family was everything to Carmen. He always wanted his family around him, and Sunday dinners at home were a family tradition every week. The table was open to anyone who could make it, with friends, boyfriends, fiances, husbands, and later, grandchildren, adding to the guestlist as the years went on. 

Carmen wasn't a man of a lot of words, but could speak volumes with just a look. He had a dry sense of humor, and his girls loved nothing more than to make him laugh. His family truly was delighted to have him in their presence, and are ever so grateful for the years they had with him.

Carmen is lovingly survived by his wife of 53 years, Sandra; his children, Joanna Baldissard and her husband Chuck, Suzanne Dolan and her husband Jim, and Jennifer Macaluso and her husband Dominic; his brother, Joseph Romei; his sisters, Toni Van Hook and her husband Dave, and Ann Catania and her husband Frank; as well as his grandchildren, Jack and Charlie Baldissard, Jimmy, Grace and Matthew Dolan, and Gabriel and Avery Macaluso. 

Visiting hours will be Tuesday, November 1 from 4-8 pm at the funeral home. A funeral service will be held 10 am Wednesday, November 2 at Our Lady of Good Counsel RC Church, Pompton Plains. Entombment will follow at Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Carmen's memory to the American Brain Foundation for Lewy Body Dementia Research (americanbrainfoundation.org) would be greatly appreciated by the Romei family.